This week's guest is Stephen White; this is his fourth appearance on the show.

I began reading Mr. White in the early 1990's, beginning with Privileged Information. I always enjoy the complexity of his plots and the compassionate way with which he treats his characters.

After all of these years Alan Gregory, Sam Purdy, Lauren, and the others in his ensemble feel like friends.

In 2006 Mr. White wrote KILL ME, a thriller that I still think about three years later. The plot is ingenious (interview is archived) and I still give the book to friends. Many readers prefer their authors to write about their favorite series characters in all of their books. This is understandable. But authors sometimes develop plots that cannot be told from the voice of their protagonist.

This is the case of Mr. White's brilliant new novel THE SIEGE, published by Dutton. The story features Sam Purdy, Alan Gregory's buddy. Sam goes to Florida for a brief getaway and is soon pulled into a hostage situation that becomes increasingly dangerous. The stakes become incredibly high.

Mr. White has taken our terrorist fears from 9/11 and taken them to a new dimension. THE SIEGE will open your eyes to some very frightening possibilities.

The story takes place over two days. Mr. White's compression of time, and his constant raising of the stakes, makes the novel difficult to put down. THE SIEGE is an important novel. We must never forget the events of 9/11 (and their aftermath). I read this book two months before I did the interview and the story was still fresh in my mind when Mr. White and I talked. That does not often happen . Enjoy!